That different kind of feeling
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: HOLIDAY FIC. Otogi is feeling a bit blue around the holidays and is surprised to find Anzu wandering around Domino Square by herself. OtogixAnzu, oneshot


DIS: For some reason, there are a lot of people out there who hate Otogi, which I don't exactly understand. I've always adored the guy. So anyway, this Christmas fic is kind of different because it's a couple I've NEVER done and some people who have read my regency England fics will be going, "WTF? She always makes them RELATED!" and feel like it's kind of incestuous. But anyway, here's one of my YuGiOh holiday fics! Enjoy!

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_Title: That different kind of feeling_

_Rating: T_

_Genre: Romance_

_Summary: HOLIDAY FIC. Otogi is feeling a bit blue around the holidays and is surprised to find Anzu wandering around Domino Square by herself. OtogixAnzu, oneshot_

_Disclaimer: I do not, as it happens, own YuGiOh, but I might as well own this couple since there aren't many that do it._

_Notes/Warnings: HOLIDAY FIC; first Otogi/Anzu fic; drabble one-shot_

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_That different kind of feeling_

Otogi was generally in a good mood during the holidays. He was one of those people who loved giving presents and getting them in return and enjoyed listening to Christmas music everywhere he went. Of course, that was before he fell out of love with Shizuka Katsuya and found out she had fallen in love with him. It had only been a few days earlier when he had been forced into the awkward situation of rejecting the sweet-natured girl after she invited him to the Domino Christmas dance. It was worse because Jounouchi, her older brother, was waiting for her with Honda Hiroto only a few feet away.

_I've been practically banned from hanging with them now, _Otogi reflected moodily. _If I go anywhere near Yuugi or the others, Jounouchi won't be far behind ready to kick my ass. _He hunched his shoulders against the cold and set his mouth in a frown as he stared at the snow-covered ground. He had fallen earlier when he was exiting his apartment so now his butt was a bit damp. _Usually I would hang with my fan club, but..._ He heaved a sigh. _I'm really not in the mood for their stupidity. I wish I could be talking with Shizuka and them, but Jounouchi has made her hate me. _He shivered a bit in the cold and swallowed, adding, _And maybe Anzu...I couldn't bear it if Anzu saw me the same way Jou and Honda do._

Sighing again and drawing his hands from his pockets, he pulled at a lock of his hair absently and raised his head, pausing in Domino Square, looking around at all the cheerful shoppers. After a grimace and a glance at the clock that read eight twenty-four pm, he loped over to a nearby game shop but paused, seeing a familiar female inside. His insides froze as he recognized Anzu Mazaki. The reason Otogi had fallen out with Shizuka was because he saw less of her and more of Anzu. He had never given her a chance, but once he began to talk more with her, he seemed to become set on her. He hadn't even been aware it had happened until Shizuka asked him to the dance. _How could I tell her that I love her best friend? _He had thought gloomily at the time.

Otogi was deliberating over turning around and fleeing, but Anzu happened to look out the window at that exact time and see him. Her face lit up and she hurried to the window, gesturing frantically to him to come inside. Letting out a nervous breath he'd been holding, he did as she bid, the heat washing over him as he entered the warm game shop. Anzu beamed at him as he trudged over to her. Remembering what a feeble position he was in, he straightened and smoothed his expensive coat out, hastily pasting a welcoming smile towards her. "Hey," he greeted as casually as he could manage.

"Hey," she echoed, her eyes sparkling. "Where have you been, Otogi? We never see you around the Kame Game Shop anymore..." Her eyes clouded for a moment with an irritation that he sincerely hoped wasn't pointed at him. Instead of pretending it hadn't happened, Anzu huffed, "Of course, I suppose that dumbass Jounouchi didn't help it any, am I right?"

"Oh. Well..." He began awkwardly, uncertain of what he should say.

"Don't worry," she assured with a point of her finger and a smile, "I know that's how it is. Jounouchi is being an idiot as always, and even Yuugi agrees and they're best friends!" She sniffed, her eyes narrowing angrily. "And just because you wouldn't go to the dance with Shizuka!" Her expression cleared and her mouth spread upward in a smile that almost seemed forced. "But I'm sure you just had things going on, right?" Otogi felt his heart drop to his stomach and he forced himself to look elsewhere, at a strategic board game that he had seen Anzu looking at earlier. "Otogi?"

"Something like that," was his vague reply. Otogi went to the board game and picked it up, pretending to read the back. He could feel Anzu's puzzled gaze on his back, but all she did was go to his side and look at it with him. Her arm pressed gently against his, warm and welcoming. He sighed and asked, "Were you going to buy this for Yuugi?"

"Um." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Strategy isn't actually Yuugi's thing – not with board games, anyway. He prefers puzzles. It was actually..." She trailed off and then shrugged. "Well, it was for you, but obviously not anymore since you've seen it. I guess that's my fault since I had you come in."

"I wasn't expecting you to be me a present, really," he answered with utter honesty, a hint of surprise on his face.

"You're my friend, aren't you?" She turned away as she said it, heading towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder. "Why don't you come with me to the Kame Game Shop, Otogi? I'll put Jounouchi if he tries anything." He hesitated before following her. She smiled and they left back in the cold, walking beside each other through the square. As they passed the clock, a high voice chirped out to them. They turned to see Mai Kujaku running to them, running an arm.

"Well, well," Mai stated, placing her hands on her hips as she looked from Otogi to Mai with a smirking expression. Anzu's face flushed as she demanded, "How come I wasn't told that you two were dating, hmm?" She nudged Otogi, who sweat dropped at her winking. "Hehehe, Anzu you're blushing!"

"I am not!" Anzu protested indignantly, contrary to the reddening of her cheeks. Mai laughed and hugged her around the shoulders, rubbing her hair in a companionable way, much like she had done when Yami and Anzu had been returning from the museum on their "date." "Grr, did you _want_ something, Mai?"

"No, I just saw you two walking – _alone_, without any of the other doofuses – and thought I'd see what was up." She winked again at Otogi, snickering. "But seeing as how you're on a date, I'll leave you two alone." She smirked and then sauntered away from them, flipping her blonde hair from her shoulder. Anzu and Otogi gawked after her.

_If I was only lucky, _Otogi thought, shaking his head slightly, _then maybe I would be on a date with Anzu..._

"Humph." Anzu tugged her purse up on her shoulder further. "Come on before people start pointing and saying what a cute couple we are." Otogi's mouth tilted upward and he followed her, matching her steps.

"Well, I don't know," he flippantly said, "I think we'd make an adorable couple." She glared at him and seeing his teasing expression, laughed despite her blush. Otogi briefly considered over the blush, but didn't let the idea get to his head too much. With the tension broken between them, they continued towards the Kame Game Shop with a light attitude and light talking. It was as it had been before the issue with Shizuka rose.

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Yuugi looked up as the bell rang to the door and Yami, seated across from them as they played a light game of Blackjack, turned and blinked at seeing Otogi and Anzu together. Yuugi was slightly surprised himself since he had always been under the impression Otogi was in love with Shizuka and recently fearful of Jou. He set down his cards in finality and Yami collected the cards, shuffling them briefly. "Otogi, it's been awhile," Yami remarked in his soft, rumbling voice.

"Yes," Otogi agreed with a slightly sheepish smile. "I had wanted to come, but things have been...tense." He paused, before adding, "To say the least." Yami chuckled, a small smile tilting his mouth. "But don't worry, I didn't come around the holidays just so I can get gifts." Yuugi laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm not that suspicious." He beamed across at Otogi, who shifted a bit uncomfortably as the conversation died. Yuugi cheerfully suggested, "How about I close the shop a bit early? We can go upstairs and just...hang out...and you can fill us in on how things have been going, okay?" Otogi seemed almost relieved.

"You guys go ahead," Anzu spoke up. "I didn't get to finish my Christmas shopping and I only have ten shopping days left!"

"Well, whose fault is that?" Otogi queried with an arch of his brow. She scowled and gave him a playful shove before waving at Yuugi and Yami and leaving. Yuugi went and locked the door, turning the sign over. He gestured Otogi upstairs and Yami followed, a musing expression on his face. As Otogi removed his coat with the fur-trimmed hood and tossed it over the arm of the couch, Yami settled on the recliner, watching the male closely.

"Should I assume there is a relationship between you and Anzu?" Yami asked with a slight smile. "Because, ironically, she recently turned Yuugi down when he asked her to the Christmas dance." He tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. "Is something going on, Ryuuji?" A chill went down Otogi's spine at the iron beneath Yami's pleasant voice. His own temper was itched by this accusation.

"Do you honestly think that Anzu would do something like that?" He countered coldly. Yami's eyes hardened and what was left of his smile was smoothed away by cold stone. Yuugi shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, looking from one man to the other, a drip of sweat sliding down the side of his face. "And no, there is nothing at all between Anzu and I. If there was..." He trailed off, his mouth tautening. Yami was silent for a long moment, staring mutely across the room before he dropped his gaze.

"You love her." It wasn't a question, but Otogi treated it as one by nodding.

"Oh," Yuugi spoke up in dumb shock. Otogi quickly looked to him in apology. "I had no idea, Otogi. If I had known – "

"No, Yuugi, you have known Anzu far longer than I have and are much closer. I don't assume that I'm a better man than you are, because I'm not. If anyone in this room deserves Anzu, you do. I never even knew of my feelings for her until Shizuka asked me to the dance. I thought I loved Shizuka, but she always treated me more like a child than an actual man." He grimaced. "I would have been over enjoyed that she asked me, but I was...uncomfortable with the idea of going to the dance with her."

"That you realized it at all is a good thing, Otogi," Yami assured with a much gentler look on his face than before.

"Have you told Anzu?" Yuugi prompted. The latter shook his head guiltily. Yuugi and Yami exchanged a look over his head and the smallest of the group quietly said, "Well, maybe you should, Otogi. Anzu seems to like you a lot more than you think."

"How am I supposed to tell her something like that, though? Her and Shizuka are best friends! I just rejected her and if I go and say something like that..." He rubbed his face anxiously. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way. The plan he had made when he first walked out the door that night was to take a pleasant, no-incident walk and then return home to sulk some more and watch Christmas movies. Instead, he ended up falling in love all over again and getting lectured by a Pharaoh from five-thousand years ago and a tiny, pint-sized Game King who used to be in love with the woman Otogi loved. His plan got completely messed up.

"Trust me, Otogi," Yami rumbled in an amused voice, "Anzu is closer to Mai or Miho than Shizuka."

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_(Christmas Eve)_

Anzu sighed to herself as she was curled up on the couch with Christmas music playing. Her mother gave her a curious look, her eyebrows raised high. She wanted to console her daughter, but she wasn't certain what it was that was bothering her. She tied some mistletoe up underneath the stairs and smiled as her husband passed underneath it with her. He gave a devilish grin and kissed her before moving onto the kitchen and the Christmas cookies.

Anzu watched her parents kiss and twisted her face, looking away and taking a drink of her eggnog. She wasn't sure why she was in a foul mood. She had gotten everything done on time this year. She had sent out the presents and cards at a good time and had spent a stress-free Christmas Eve watching Christmas movies, eating Christmas cookies, drinking eggnog, and listening to Christmas music (mostly _Feliz Navidad, _one of her favorites.) Nonetheless, she felt as though something was missing and knew what it was. The Christmas dance was tonight and she had been asked by Yuugi, but had declined. _I don't want to go with him, _she thought sullenly, _I want to go with Otogi, but he and I are more like close friends – like Jounouchi and I. _She rubbed her forehead. _I just don't want to be alone..._

The doorbell rang and Anzu curled closer to herself as her mother answered the door with a cheerful voice. It was only a moment later when she called, "Anzu! You have a visitor!" Anzu uncurled from the couch and sat up, looking to the door in boredom that changed to surprise at seeing Otogi standing in front of the door with snow on his head and something clasped in his hand. "Otogi..." She murmured in surprise. She glanced at her mother meaningfully and the older woman merely raised her eyebrows before leaving the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I was advised by a few wise men that I should...uh..." He hesitated and then sighed, holding out the present. "Here. Merry Christmas." He almost looked upset when he said it. Anzu went to the steps and sat on them, carefully opening the tiny package. She tore the packaging from it and sucked in a breath at the velvet case with her name engraved in gold. With shaking fingers, she opened the case and sighed at the beautiful golden necklace with a diamond heart hanging from it.

"...Thank you, Otogi, but you didn't have to get me something so expensive." She stood and smiled at him with watery eyes. She stilled, suddenly realizing that she was at the exact place where she had seen her mother hang the mistletoe. She removed the necklace and held it out to him wordlessly, turning around once he had it. Anzu shivered as his cool fingers brushed her shoulders as he brought the necklace around her neck. She turned around and fingered the necklace before peering up at him through her lashes.

"It looks...nice on you, Anzu," he choked out. She nodded.

"We're under mistletoe." For once, Otogi looked completely uncertain of what he was doing.

Stupidly, he said, "Oh." Anzu smiled nervously and blushed. She leaned up and brushed her mouth over his, but when she started to draw back, Otogi seemed to regain his wits and clasped his hands around her face, pulling her up and kissing her hard and with fervor. Her body lit up with excitement at the kiss. There was a loud clearing of the throat that had them jumping back in surprise. Anzu's parents stood with mild expressions on their face and Otogi looked a bit terrified that he had been caught kissing their daughter when they didn't even know his name.

"So," Anzu's mother chirped, "Anzu. Are you going to tell us what your boyfriend's name is or are we going to have to wring it out of him?" Otogi blinked and had the grace to look embarrassed, but Anzu merely tugged at his arm and smiled.

"Otogi Ryuuji," she introduced with a warm look on her face as she glanced up at him. "My boyfriend." He relaxed and returned her smile in agreement.

_Finis_

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DIS: Ah, gyad, that sucked. So there goes my experiment...It was a failure. :-P But that's just my opinion! Please review on your way out and tell me how I did on this couple! It'd be so appreciated, you don't even know. Ciao!


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